The Scars of Us(Scars Series)

Kamden had let me sleep late before finally waking me up to get ready to go to the gym. My mind was conflicted over the idea, both loving and hating the fact that I was going to see Ryker.

Once we walked into the gym, I thought I was going to throw up from the nerves that had built up in anticipation of seeing him.

What am I going to say to him? Will he even talk to me again?

I didn’t see Ryker as we walked into the cardio room, and relief and disappointment simultaneously flooded me. I hopped on an elliptical, not wanting to have another freak accident like last time, as Kamden headed to a treadmill across from me.

I put my earbuds in before starting up on the machine, letting the music block out the world around me. I didn’t even notice Kamden come up next to my machine until he tapped my arm.

I reflexively startled, my body jerking before I focused on him. Pulling my left earbud out, I asked, “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to the weight room.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll be here.”

As he left, I saw him stop to talk to Ryker. Shit.

Ryker glanced in my direction, and I immediately darted my eyes away.

My eyes kept finding him as he continued to talk to my brother. After they finished, he headed towards me, no doubt wanting an explanation for last night. The knots in my stomach intensified the closer he came, and I had to stop myself from running away.

You’d definitely look like a crazy person then.

I pulled out my earbuds when he reached me, preparing for the inevitable. “Hey,” I lamely greeted.

“Hey, yourself. What happened last night?”

Sighing, I averted my eyes from his as I replied, “I’m really sorry about last night. It was a mistake, and I—”

“A mistake?” he interrupted as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, obviously offended.

I swallowed the huge lump that had grown in my throat before I answered, “It’s just that I can’t get involved with you—with anyone.” Even though I want to.

“Why not? If you’re worried about commitment, don’t. I’m not the commitment type,” he replied flippantly.

“Oh, so, you just want a one night stand?” I asked incredulously. When he cocked his eyebrow up with a smirk, I continued, “No, thanks.” Rolling my eyes, I started to put my earbuds back in so I could ignore him. Did he really think I was that easy?

“We’ll see about that,” he smugly responded before playing with his tongue ring. My eyes immediately went to his mouth. F*ck me. “Have a good workout.”

Baffled, I watched him stride away, wondering what the f*ck just happened—again. Placing my headphones back in, I resumed my exercise as I tried to forget about Ryker. Yeah, good luck with that.

Thoughts of having sex with him filled my head, and I seriously contemplated having a one night stand with him. Maybe that would get him off my mind. My mind warred as it debated the pros and cons, and unfortunately, the cons outweighed the pros. I’d have to tell him all of my rules before we even got naked, and he probably wouldn’t want to have sex with me after that since most guys didn’t want to f*ck with rules involved. I was lucky that Bryce was so understanding, otherwise I’d be stuck with a vibrator to get off.


But the thought of Ryker’s body pressed against mine, of feeling him inside me, of tasting and touching every inch of his skin, was almost enough to change my mind—almost. I had to stay in control, not be ruled by my emotions; I couldn’t let them overtake me. Opening myself up to Ryker, even just to have sex, could have irreparable consequences that I was incapable of dealing with.

Once I finished on the elliptical, I went in search of Kamden. As I passed some of the exercise rooms, I saw a flyer that read:



Kickboxing/Self-defense classes

Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 P.M.

Sign up at the front desk



Maybe I should look into that, especially since Kaleb might get released.

I shook my head, immediately attempting to dispel my thoughts and block out my emotions before they started to take over. I couldn’t afford a public breakdown, especially in front of Ryker. I’d never be able to come here again.

Kamden was doing squats when I walked in, but he stopped when he saw me.

“You finished?” he asked, wiping the perspiration from his brow with a towel. He handed it to me when he was done.

“Yeah, but I can wait for you if you’re not ready.” I took the towel from his hand, which was soaked with his sweat. Gross.

“I only have a few more reps.”

“Okay, that’s fine. I’m going to get some water.”

As I waited, my eyes scanned the room anxiously. I tapped my foot nervously on the floor as I looked around. I told myself that I wasn’t looking for Ryker, but that was a lie. I wanted to see him one more time before we left, but I didn’t. It’s probably better this way—the less of him, the better. Now if only I could get him off of my mind.





Once we got home, Kamden’s phone rang. “It’s Mom,” he informed.

“I’m not here,” I said, dropping my purse on the table by the door and heading toward the bathroom to shower.

Rolling his eyes, he answered the phone, “Hey, Mom. No, Kaiya’s not here.” He paused for a few seconds before angrily snarling, “What?”

The tone in his voice stopped me dead in my tracks. Oh no. What now? He couldn’t have gotten out that fast, could he?

My heart beat furiously beneath my chest, fear clenched my lungs, making it almost impossible for me to breathe as a panic attack began to take hold. Breathe, Kaiya. In, out, in, out. Don’t have another breakdown.

“No, Mom, it’s not great! He should be left to rot in there forever for what he did to Kaiya!” he yelled before abruptly hanging up his phone.

It began ringing a few seconds later, but Kamden rejected the call. He smiled sympathetically as his anger began to recede, and his eyes softened when they met mine.

Pushing my emotions down, locking them away inside me, I numbed myself, preparing for the worst.

“Just tell me,” I impatiently insisted.

Kamden sighed before speaking, “Kaleb’s release was approved, pending a six month observation period.”

Fear tried to take hold of me again, clawing at my walls, but I forced it down. I needed to be stronger if I was going to survive this whole ordeal. “Can we stop it?”

“I’m going to try. I want to go up there as soon as possible, and I think it would be best if you came with me.”

“Kamden, I can’t.” Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around myself for comfort. “I can’t be that close to him.”

“You know that I wouldn’t ask you unless I thought it was absolutely necessary. I think that if you remind them what happened, tell them how much what he did has affected you, I doubt they’ll give the final approval on his release.”

I sighed. “I’ll think about it. I can’t guarantee anything though. I can barely keep it together with him miles away.”

“You’re stronger than you think, Ky.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I know you can do it,” he voiced confidently as he gave me an assuring smile.

Uncomfortable focusing on myself, especially when it involved Kaleb, I changed the subject, “I need to shower. I’m all sweaty.”

Turning around, I didn’t give Kamden a chance to make me talk about the issue any further. I heard the phone ringing again when I entered my bathroom.

Stripping my clothes, I avoided the mirror as I stepped into the shower. I kept my body turned away from it the entire time, letting the water rain over my skin, hoping it would wash away the emotions trying to break through.

After I stepped out of the shower, I made the mistake of looking in the mirror. Dangerously drawn like a moth to a flame, I inched closer to my reflection, knowing the aftermath would be disastrous. Even though it was my face, all I could see was him staring back at me—his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his… everything.

Shuddering, I gripped the counter, trying to pull away, to disentangle myself from the trap I’d fallen in, but the damage was already done. My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I struggled to breathe. My lungs familiarly tightened in anxiety. I couldn’t think, couldn’t talk myself down, when all I could see was him.

Taunting me, he smirked menacingly as he vowed, “I’m coming for you, Kaiya. This time, I will have you.”

“No. No, no, no!” I shrieked in horrified panic. Fear heated my skin, strangled my veins, and rooted itself deep within me as Kaleb responded with intermittent yeses and maniacal laughter.

Impulsively, I grabbed my blow dryer before repeatedly bashing it against the mirror, causing it to splinter and crack. I angrily screamed as I continued, making my throat burn until it became raw. Small pieces of glass began to shoot outward from my blows as I spiraled out of control, hammering him with all my force. Stinging pain registered on my face, but I was too beyond gone to care.

“Kaiya, stop! Stop!” I heard a voice yell before large, strong hands gripped my arms. The blow dryer clanged to the floor as I fought against whoever was holding me, throwing myself back into a bulky mass before slamming us into the wall.

Squirming against the body, I struggled as I tried to kick, punch, and scratch whoever was holding me.

“Kaiya, it’s me! It’s Kamden. Stop!” he yelled urgently.

Kamden?

Chest heaving with ragged breaths, I looked back at the fractured mirror, seeing Kamden’s distorted reflection holding me. I began to relax against him once I realized I was safe—that it wasn’t him.

Kamden eased his hold on me before gently rubbing my arms.

Slowly turning around to face him, I rasped, “I’m so sorry, Kam.”

“Don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. I threw too much at you at one time.” Looking toward the mirror, he continued, “I’ll have to get that replaced.”

“Maybe it’s better if you don’t,” I suggested. When he gave me an inquisitive look, I explained, “I try to avoid looking at it all the time anyway.”

He nodded before cautiously lifting his hands up to my face. He turned it side to side, examining my skin. “Let’s get you cleaned up—you’ve got some cuts.”

As he walked to the sink, I raised my hand to my face, tenderly touching the areas that were now starting to burn with pain. Blood dotted my fingers when I pulled away, and I couldn’t believe how fast I had lost control.

Kamden came back before leading me to the toilet. He sat me down before kneeling in front of me with cotton balls, peroxide, and antibiotic ointment.

“This is going to sting,” he warned.


I flinched slightly as he gently cleaned my wounds, and once again, I was awed by how amazing he was. I don’t deserve him, but God knows I need him. I would’ve never survived everything without him.

When he was finished, I began to clean up the mess of bloody cotton balls and glass shards on the floor while Kamden went to grab the broom. As I looked at the fragments on the floor, I thought of how much they resembled me—shattered pieces of what they once were. I didn’t want to be like that, didn’t want to be a broken shell anymore. I wasn’t going to keep letting Kaleb dominate my life—I was going to take control.

When Kamden came back, broom in hand, I stood and faced him. “I’ll go.”

“What?” His eyes scrunched in confusion before searching my face.

“I’ll go with you to the hospital. I want to do everything I can to make sure he doesn’t get released.”

“Are you sure? After that episode, I don’t thi—”

Interrupting, I replied, “I want to. I want to take control of my life. I don’t want to be afraid to live anymore. And I want to take self-defense classes at the gym—I want to be prepared in case he does get released. I want to be able to fight back.”

Smiling proudly, his huge grin lit up his stormy eyes. “Okay, sorella. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Anything you need.”

Returning his smile, pride swelled within me as I hugged him. You can do this. You will do this. And with that, I took the first step to becoming whole.





Shock didn’t begin to express how I felt when Kaiya walked into my self-defense class on Sunday night. Class didn’t start for another fifteen minutes, and she was the first one there. Her eyes reflected the same surprise that I felt as her body stiffened in uncertainty, like a deer right before it bolts away from danger.

“Hey,” I greeted. “Welcome to Self-Defense.”

“You’re the instructor?” she asked in disbelief.

“I am,” I grinned.

Mumbling something indiscernible, she set her gym bag down on the hardwood floor against the wall before making her way toward me. As she neared, I saw small cuts on her face, and I couldn’t explain the anger that filled me at the thought of someone hurting her.

“What happened to your face?” I all but spat. Calm down.

Her eyes widened, my question taking her off guard. “Why do you care?” she retorted defensively.

Why does she have to be so stubborn? “Just tell me. It’s suspicious that you want to start my self-defense class after getting those cuts on your face.” Yeah, that’s the only reason I want to know.

Her face relaxed as her features returned to normal. “Uh, my cat scratched me.”

Her voice lacked confidence. I didn’t believe her for a second, but I didn’t want to press the matter. If I wanted to get closer to her, have any kind of chance with her, I needed to gain her trust. I couldn’t push her away by interrogating her, even though I really wanted to know what happened.

“I think you need a new pet,” I joked.

She gave me a small smile as she fidgeted nervously with her hands. But without missing a beat, she changed the subject, “I’ve never taken a class like this before. Can you tell me what to expect?”

“Well, we start off with warming up on the bags,” I answered, gesturing to the standing punching bags along the walls of the room. “I demonstrate different combinations you can use, and you perform them on the bags. Having the foundation of knowing basic punches and kicks will help you in any situation because you can’t predict what an attacker will do. I want to give you as many tools as possible to help you defend yourself, and kickboxing is a great platform for that.

“Then, we have an open request forum. I take requests from the class and show techniques on how to defend yourself in specific situations, which you will then practice with me or one of the other instructors.”

Her eyes widened apprehensively, showing fear from my words. I had to stop myself from trying to comfort her. Why do you care?

“Everything okay? You look conflicted.”

“Maybe this isn’t for me—I don’t like to be touched, especially by strangers.”

Interesting; she didn’t seem to mind me touching her the other night. Well, until the end. I wonder what the story is behind that. I shoved my concern for her away as I stated, “If you don’t like to be touched, you need to know ways to prevent it from happening, to protect yourself from the people that don’t care what you want.”

Uncomfortably sighing, she asked, “Can you work with me? I don’t think I’ll be comfortable with anyone else.” Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing red as she stammered, “Only because I already know you. Not because I want you to touch me or anything.”

I chuckled before replying, “Whatever works for you—I want you to be comfortable. If you’re not comfortable, then you’re less likely to come back.”

She nodded before exhaling a heavy breath. “I’m really nervous.”

“Don’t be—we’ll take it slow. I try to give specialized attention to all the students based on their strengths and weaknesses. I’ll help you every step of the way.”

A small smile graced her beautiful lips, causing my stomach to tighten.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it,” she said softly.

“No problem—just doing my job. Go ahead and get stretched out before we get started.” I turned to walk away, but stopped and asked, “Do you have gloves?”

“I didn’t know I needed them. Can I still take the class without them?”

“Yeah, I have some. They’re old and worn, but they’ll work until you get some of your own,” I said as I walked to the small closet in the corner of the room. Rifling through my storage of kickboxing supplies, I found some gloves that I thought would fit Kaiya’s small hands.

When I exited, Kaiya was bent over, touching her right foot gracefully with her fingers as she stretched. Her ass was to me, and I couldn’t help but imagine entering her from behind, sinking my dick inside her p-ssy as I pounded against that sweet ass.

F*ck, stop. Focus—you’re about to teach a class.

I cleared my throat before I spoke, my voice slightly cracking, “Here are the gloves.”

Straightening, she turned and took the gloves from me, barely brushing her fingers against my palm. “Thanks.”

Giving her a slight nod, I turned away and walked back to the supply closet again, trying to distract myself from thoughts of Kaiya and sex.

Minutes later, the other students began to trickle in, along with the other instructors, Mark and David. They were there to give the students real life models to practice with, ensuring they became accustomed to what a typical man’s body feels like when they attack since a man’s weight and strength were huge factors in overpowering women. All the techniques I taught would be almost useless if they didn’t have training utilizing them against a man.

After I had demonstrated the first combo, I walked over to Kaiya to see if she needed help while the others started. She attempted the maneuver, but her form was off. Way off. She’d probably never been in a fight before.

“I’m doing it wrong, aren’t I?” she asked, blowing a strand of her hair off of her face in frustration.

I laughed lightly, “Not completely. You’re doing a lot of things right, but your form is a little off. Let me show you again.”


Repeating the combination again, I said the moves aloud for her to hear. “Jab, punch, palm strike, elbow, elbow, knee, front snap.”

“What’s the difference between a jab and punch?”

“Well, a jab is basically just a quick punch using your front hand. A punch is thrown from the back hand, and has more power than a jab,” I demonstrated as I answered her.

“Okay, jab is front hand, punch is back hand,” she said, copying my moves.

“You got it. Let’s try the combo again.”

As I showed her once more, I could see her mimicking me out of the corner of my eye.

“Remember to always keep your hands up to protect your face when you’re not punching. One good hit to the head and it’d be over for you.”

Bringing her fists up in front of her face, she asked, “Like this?”

“Yes. You also need to twist your body when you punch—it gives you more momentum, thus giving you more power. Try again.”

Doing as I requested, she executed the combo, hitting the bag more forcefully.

“I do feel more power that way,” she commented enthusiastically.

“With any method of self-defense, just a small adjustment usually can make a huge difference, whether it be positive or negative. Any mistake could result in injury, while perfect execution of a technique could save your life.”

“I’ll make sure to remember that. Thank you.”

“No problem. Switch legs and keep going, alternating each time.”

Nodding, she changed her stance to her left leg before starting again. Each time she completed the combo, her movements became more fluid, her hits delivering more power as they connected with the bag. I couldn’t stop the smile that spread as I watched her. The determination was evident on her face as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Plus, the fact that she was getting all sweaty and flushed turned me on—a woman was so sexy when she worked out.

Once we finished several more combinations on the bags, we switched to freestyle techniques.

“Five Minute Freestyle! Give it all you got!” I announced.

Everyone knew what that meant, except Kaiya. As everyone started pummeling their bags, I walked over to her, surprised to see that she was already punching and kicking her own bag.

Her eyes locked with mine, causing her to miss landing her punch and stumble slightly. Her already flushed cheeks reddened more as she gave me an embarrassed smile. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“You’re doing great. Just keep doing the moves you learned today however you want for the next five minutes. Don’t stop, no matter how tired you are.”

She turned her attention back to her bag before slowly repeating several of the combinations I had taught today. I couldn’t wait to see her once she got more comfortable, once she let go and allowed that warrior to break through that I glimpsed every so often when she argued with me.

Once the five minutes were up, I gathered the group on one of the mats. “Awesome workout, everyone. Before we start the self-defense techniques, I want to introduce Kaiya. She just started working out here and is testing out our class. Please give her a warm welcome.”

The other students greeted Kaiya, who blushed profusely from the attention while glaring at me playfully. She waved her hand to everyone as she shyly said hi.

Redirecting everyone’s focus back to the class, I asked, “Anybody have an attack you’d like to practice defense against? Even if we’ve already learned it before.”

One of the older women raised their hand. “Can we practice when a guy traps you on the ground? That still scares me, and I think we can never have enough practice with those escape techniques.”

Murmurs of agreement flowed through the class, except Kaiya, who remained quiet and still. When our eyes locked, I could see the apprehension and anxiety in her strained face.

“Okay, everyone pair up with your usual partners,” I said before making my way to Kaiya. “I need to catch you up on some basics before we start the escape techniques, okay?”

Nervously nodding, she replied, “Okay, sure.”

“Before we start anything, there’s one thing that I must stress. Always protect your face—do not get knocked out. Most attackers will immediately try to punch you and knock you out before anything else. If you’re unconscious, they can do whatever they want to you—kidnap, rape, or murder you. Got it?”

She gulped before meekly replying, “Yes.”

“Okay, the first move I’m going to show you is called the Shrimp. You mu-”

“The Shrimp?” she laughed, interrupting me.

“Yes, the Shrimp. Let me finish,” I chastised playfully before continuing. “You must master this move before we can start any other techniques. Lie down.”

Surprisingly, she did as I requested without argument. That’s a first.

When she was flat on her back, I instructed, “Bend your knees. Good, now, when you’re being attacked, you need to determine which direction you are going to try to escape from. If you want to go to the right, your right leg is going to remain planted to the floor, along with your left shoulder. If you want to go to the left, then it’s the opposite—got it?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Which way do you want to practice first?”

“Um, the right.”

“Okay, keeping your right foot on the ground, I want you to push your body back with it, twisting while picking your left foot off the ground. As you slide backwards, keep your left shoulder pressed to the ground while lifting your right shoulder up until it is directly above the left. Your body should form the shape of an L. We refer to this as shrimping out. I’ll demonstrate first, then you’re going to try.”

I modeled the technique slowly several times, showing both directions before directing Kaiya to try. She executed the move very sluggishly at first, but after multiple attempts on each side, she finally was able to fluidly carry out the maneuver.

“Congratulations, you’ve mastered the Shrimp.” I smiled, slightly teasing her.

Returning my smile, she asked, “What’s next?”

“Now, I’m going to walk you through the steps to get away when an attacker traps you on the ground.”

Lying down on the floor, I continued, “Get between my legs and press against me as close as you can.”

“Wha… what?” she stammered, her cheeks flushing pink.

She’s so sexy when she blushes.

“Kneel in between my legs.” I paused, waiting for her to do as I said. “Now, scoot up and press your pelvis against me.” F*ck, it’s so hard to be professional with her this close to me. All I want to do is rip her clothes off and f*ck her.

Giving me a skeptical look, she slowly inched her way towards me until we were barely touching. I sat up and gently grabbed her by the hips, pulling her flush against me. Her lower body was cradled by the inside of my thighs, and her knees were framing the outside of my hips. “Like this,” I stated.

Her blush deepened as our eyes locked. Having her pressed against my dick caused it to start to harden.

“What now?” she asked, her voice cracking slightly. I didn’t know if she was turned on or just responding to the sudden feel of me.

“Now, place your hands outside my shoulders. This is the most common form of attack against women, and it usually escalates from this position, so it’s best to stop it as soon as possible. The first thing you want to do is brace your hands against your attacker’s shoulders, keeping your arms straight, like this.” I demonstrated. “This hinders their movement, and prevents them from coming down on your body. Notice how off balance you are?”


“Yeah, but you’re like ten times stronger than me. How am I supposed to keep a man off me that’s stronger and heavier than me?”

“You only need to keep them off you for a brief time. Once you have them in this position, use the Shrimp technique.” I modeled, pushing into the formation and propping my elevated foot against her hip. “Let me show you again.”

I demonstrated the move again before moving on to the next step. “Now, keep your foot on their hip as you slide your hands down to your attacker’s elbows, like this,” I said as I grabbed her elbows. “Next, twist back to the center, bringing both knees up and pressing both feet against their hips. The typical reaction for an attacker is to pull away, so when they do, slide your hands down to their wrists, bring your feet up, and kick the shit out of them. Then, run away and find help.”

I sat up, and we both pulled apart. “Any questions?”

“Where should I kick?”

“Anywhere— the groin, stomach, and face are the most vulnerable and effective targets to kick. Are you ready to try?”

Exhaling, she gave me a quick nod, “Yeah, I’m ready.”

“I’m going to walk you through everything, so don’t worry. Lie down and open your legs,” I instructed.

Briefly hesitating, she did as I requested.

“I’m going to get between your legs now, okay?”

When she nodded, I scooted up, placing my knees on the outside of her hips as I draped her legs on my thighs and pressed up against her. My mind briefly transported us to my bed, where she would be naked, open and ready for me, waiting for my dick to slide inside her.

Concentrate on the technique. You’ll have her soon.

“Now, I’m going to try to come down on you. Stop me by bracing your hands against my shoulders.” I started to move my upper body down toward hers, and she threw her hands up, stopping me by grabbing my shoulders. “Good, now shrimp out and place your foot on my hip.”

That move was more difficult for her to execute, so we practiced it several times until she felt like she got the hang of it before moving on to the next step. The constant contact and rubbing had hardened my cock more, but Kaiya didn’t say anything. I knew she felt it by the way she tried to adjust when it pressed against her, causing her face to redden.

“From here, slide your hands down to my elbows and move back to the center while bringing both knees up and putting your feet on my hips.”

“Like this?” she asked as she trailed her hands down to my elbows and propped her feet on me. Her touch was light as her skin grazed mine.

“Yes, now slip your hands down and grip my wrists as I pull away. I’m going to move my head to the side so you can practice kicking upwards. Go ahead and kick.”

We practiced the routine a few more times, and Kaiya moved more fluidly each time. I could tell she was becoming more comfortable with me as her body relaxed throughout the exercise. As class ended, I gathered everyone on the mat again before I closed. “Great class today, everyone. I love the enthusiasm, and I want to thank you for your active participation. Remember, we can’t predict exactly how an attack will happen, but practicing these techniques will definitely help in any situation. Always fight back—punch, kick, scream, scratch, anything to protect yourself. See you Tuesday.”

Everyone filed out of the room, except Kaiya.

Glancing shyly as she approached me, she said, “I just want to thank you for working with me. Like I said, I don’t do well with strangers touching me.”

“No problem. See you Tuesday? For the next class?”

Biting her lower lip in contemplation, she didn’t say anything for several seconds before she replied, “Yes. I’ll be here Tuesday.”

“Great, I’ll see you then.”

She turned to walk away, but I stopped her. “Wait.” I wanted to keep talking to her. Something about her intrigued me, maybe the fact that she didn’t just give into me like other girls.

“Before you go, let me give you my number, in case you need to get a hold of me for class or something.” Reaching my hand out, I gestured for her to give me her phone.

Rolling her eyes, she questioned, “Do you give your number to all your students?”

“Only VIP ones,” I joked. I didn’t normally give out my personal number to students, but I wanted an excuse to get Kaiya’s. I kept my hand out, and she finally placed her phone in my palm. Keying my number in, I called my phone so that I’d have her number, too.

As I gave her phone back, I said, “Let me walk you to your car.”

“You don’t have to do that—I’ll be fine.”

“Just let me walk you to your car,” I insisted.

“Fine,” she huffed before smiling.

So stubborn.

As we walked, I took the opportunity to try to get to know her better, hoping that would help in my quest to get her in my bed. I ignored the fact that I was interested in her, that I actually wanted to know more about her.

“So, do you and Kamden live together?”

“Yeah, just me and him. We’ve lived in our apartment together since college.”

“Any other family?”

Her skin paled as her eyes widened. “No.”

Okay, not a good topic. Maybe we have more in common than I thought. “What do you do for work?”

Her face relaxed, and color began to return to her cheeks. “I’m a Project Coordinator for a marketing and public relations firm in Boston.”

“Sounds boring.”

She looked offended, but laughed. “Thanks. Not everyone gets to work out for a living.”

“It’s pretty awesome,” I admitted. We were nearing the exit doors, so my time with her was running out. “What do you like to do for fun?”

I opened the door for her as she answered, “I love to go dancing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when I ask you out.”

She laughed again; this had to be the most I’d ever seen her do so. I was getting somewhere, finally.

“Anything else that might help my chances?”

She stopped by a black, Acura TL before leaning against it, facing me.

“You don’t want to get involved with me,” she said with a half-hearted smile.

“Oh, yeah? Why not?” I replied as I stepped closer to her. Always fighting me.

Her eyes watched me warily. This close to her, I could see so many different hues of blue and green that made up the unique shade of her eyes. They really were beautiful. “I just… I have a lot of issues.”

“Don’t we all?” I asked in a rhetorical tone. I know I do.

She chuckled softly, “Not like mine.”

“You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.” What am I saying? I don’t want to her to know about my past—do I?

“That’s never going to happen,” she replied matter-of-factly, an unspoken challenge present in her eyes.

“Never say never.” I smirked while backing away. “Goodnight, Kaiya.”

I didn’t need to say anything else that I might regret, like telling her my whole life story. Why does she make me feel so different? Why do I want to open up to her?

Shaking her head, she smiled as she got into her car. As I turned around, I couldn’t help but think, Tuesday can’t come fast enough.